Dove World's latest stance might risk tax status

Friday

Mar 19, 2010 at 9:51 PM

The Gainesville church that attracted national attention last year when it posted signs condemning Islam is back with another message -- one that could affect its tax-exempt status because the church now is wading into politics.

By Chad SmithStaff writer

The Gainesville church that attracted national attention last year when it posted signs condemning Islam is back with another message -- one that could affect its tax-exempt status because the church now is wading into politics.On Friday, Dove World Outreach Center on Northwest 37th Street posted a sign denouncing a Gainesville mayoral candidate, which may violate the church's protected status under the Internal Revenue Code.Under Section 501(c)(3), exempt organizations -- including churches, schools and charities -- can't "participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office."Mike Dobzinski, the Florida spokesman for the Internal Revenue Service, said without seeing the sign, he couldn't say how it might affect the church's status."I couldn't say officially whether that is or isn't political activity," Dobzinski said.According to the tax code, any violation of the prohibition against political campaigning may result in the "denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise tax."Last year, a sign posted at the church read, "ISLAM IS OF THE DEVIL."On Friday, a sign at the church read, "No homo Mayor." One of the two remaining candidates in the Gainesville mayoral runoff, City Commissioner Craig Lowe, is gay."We don't feel as though the city should be represented by a homosexual," Terry Jones, senior pastor at Dove World Outreach Center, said Friday.Lowe said Friday night he had not heard about the sign until he was asked for comment by The Sun.But Lowe said he was aware of fliers that have circulated around town, one attacking his sexuality and another criticizing his support for the city ordinance protectng transexuals . The flier about Lowe's sexuality, made to appear like it was coming from the Lowe campaign, touted his "gay agenda.""Members of the religious community that I've spoken to have expressed very strong concerns that this kind of rhetoric is going on in the community," Lowe said.Don Marsh, Lowe's opponent in the April 13 runoff election, said he also hadn't heard about the sign but was not surprised because of the past signs about Islam."This is par for the course, I guess," Marsh said.Marsh said Lowe's sexuality is not a campaign issue."There are much more important things," he said. "Unfortunately it seems to overshadow the real issues."Jones said he didn't think the sign was a violation of federal regulations that preclude tax-exempt bodies from taking political action."We are not making anyone vote in any direction," Jones said, explaining that he felt protected by the First Amendment right to free speech. "We are within our constitutional rights."Contacted late Friday, State Attorney Bill Cervone said that, generally, speech is protected by the Constitution, "regardless of how offensive it might be to some people."Contact Chad Smith at 338-3104 or chad.smith@gvillesun.com.